Pistorius to hold memorial for Steenkamp

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – South African model Reeva Steenkamp died early on February 14, 2013, after a shooting at the Pretoria home of her boyfriend, Olympian Oscar Pistorius.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – This undated handout picture released on February 14, 2013 by "Ice Models" in South Africa shows model Reeva Steenkamp.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Capacity Relations, the agency that represents Steenkamp, announced her death. "She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth and will be sorely missed," the agency said on Twitter.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – The model was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She later moved to Johannesburg, where she worked for various companies, including Toyota and cosmetics maker Avon.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Steenkamp, who had a law degree, has also worked as a presenter for FashionTV in South Africa and as a FHM covergirl.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Her passion included cars and cooking, and she was set to appear in the Tropika Island of Treasure Show on Saturday, according to the show's website.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – "We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva's family and friends," the show said in a message on its website.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – Steenkamp died after a shooting at the Pretoria home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius. She is pictured here on February 07, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Photos:Reeva Steenkamp in photos

Pistorius' girlfriend dies on Valentine's Day – A picture taken on January 26, 2013 shows Oscar Pistorius posing next to his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.

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Story highlights

The Pistorius family says it's acknowledging the service after information had been leaked

Pistorius, 26, is charged with premeditated murder in his girlfriend's shooting death

The South African track star, out on bail, says he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder

More than a week after he was charged in her death, South African track star Oscar Pistorius intends to hold a private memorial service Tuesday night for his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his uncle's Pretoria home, Pistorius' family said in a statement Tuesday.

Pistorius' family said it released the statement because information about the memorial service had leaked to the news media.

"Oscar specifically requested the memorial service as he continues to grieve and remains in deep mourning for the loss of his partner Reeva," the Pistorius family's statement reads. "Since it is such a sensitive issue, Oscar has asked for a private service with people who share his loss, including his family members who knew and loved Reeva as one of their own."

Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius shakes hands as he leaves a courtroom in Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday, July 6. Pistorius, the first double-amputee runner to compete in the Olympics, was sentenced to six years in prison after he was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, in February 2013.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius walks without his prosthetic legs during his sentencing hearing in Pretoria on Wednesday, June 15. His attorney was arguing that he was a vulnerable figure who should receive a lesser sentence for murder.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius arrives outside a courtroom in Pretoria in October 2014. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison, but a higher court reversed it to murder after an appeal.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

A picture taken on January 26, 2013, shows Pistorius and Steenkamp at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. Pistorius said her shooting death was an accident after he mistook her for an intruder. The prosecution called it a deliberate act after the two had an argument.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius puts his head in his hands during his trial in South Africa in March 2014. Pistorius often showed great emotion as the court went into detail about Steenkamp's death.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius leaves a police station with his face covered in February 2013.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius won gold for the first time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. He won the 200-meter final and set a new world record. The South African sprinter was called the "Blade Runner" because of his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Prosthetic legs stand on the ground as Pistorius coaches children in Manchester, England, in April 2006.

Pistorius poses with his medals from the IPC Athletics World Championships in January 2011. He won three world titles there but lost the 100-meter T44 final to Singleton. It was his first loss in a race over 100 meters since the 2004 Paralympic Games.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius passes the baton to Ofentse Mogawane in a 4x400-meter relay race during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, in September 2011. Pistorius was the first double-amputee athlete to compete at the World Athletics Championships.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius races in the men's 400 meters during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius competes in the London Olympics.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius carries the South African flag during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics in London.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius competes in a men's 400-meter T44 heat at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius poses on the podium with his gold medal after winning the men's 400-meter T44 final at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

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Photos:'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius receives his honorary doctorate from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2012.

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Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution – A magistrate who granted bail Friday to Oscar Pistorius cited "several errors and concessions" in a police investigator's testimony. Here's a look at four key assertions prosecutors made during the bail hearing -- and how defense attorneys responded.

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Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

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Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

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Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

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Photos:Setbacks for Pistorius prosecution

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The family asked the media to give them privacy at the home Tuesday night.

Pistorius, a double-amputee and Olympian sprinter who competes with prosthetic legs, is charged with premeditated murder, accused of deliberately shooting his model girlfriend in his home on February 14.

His defense team claims Pistorius mistakenly believed Steenkamp, 29, was an intruder hiding in a toilet room inside the bathroom of his Pretoria home when he shot her.

Steenkamp's father, Barry Steenkamp, told the Afrikaans-language newspaper Beeld for a story Saturday that if Pistorius is lying about how she died, he will have to live with his conscience. But Barry Steenkamp said that if Pistorius tells the truth, he might someday forgive him.